Knowing Better
by HP Slash Luv
Summary: Muggle!AU. Pandora should have known better.


**Title:** Knowing Better  
 **Rating:** T  
 **Pairing(s)/Character(s):** Pandora, Luna  
 **Warnings:** character death  
 **Disclaimer:** Don't own 'em - not making any money off 'em. Dern it.  
 **Word Count:** 727  
 **Summary:** Muggle!AU. Pandora should have known better.

 **Notes:**

 **Year Long Scavenger Hunt:** B17. (character) Pandora Lovegood

 **Hogwarts School of Witchcraft & Wizardry:** Speed Drabble – glasses, fingertips, fountain

 **Hogwarts School of Witchcraft & Wizardry: **Writing Club – Peculiar People Day – Wrote about Luna or Newt.

 **The Ultimate Patronus Quest Challenge:** Special Class H: Magical and Mystica Creatures – 9. Gryndilow: Write about Pandora Lovegood's death.

* * *

Pandora's fingertips brushed against her glasses as she sat near the fountain at the mall. They rested on her lap. She should probably put them on her face so she didn't lose them, but she hated wearing them so much. They made her look so much older than she was.

Looking older had been nice when she was a teenager, but it didn't work for her now.

"Mommy," a voice squealed.

Pandora jumped and as she stood up, the glasses fell to the ground. "Luna, wait—"

But it was too late. Luna had come running from the kid's play area and had enthusiastically thrown her arms around Pandora's waist. In the process, she had stepped on the glasses.

Pandora winced at the crack she heard, even over the loud noise the other mall walkers were making.

Luna stepped back and stared in horror at the floor. "I'm sorry, Mommy," she whispered, her hand to her mouth.

Pandora sighed. It was her own fault, not Luna's. "It's okay, Sweetie. They should have been on my face, not on my lap."

Luna bent down and picked them up with gentle fingers. She held them up to Pandora. "Can you fix them?"

Pandora took them and studied them for a moment. The frame was bent, and one of the lenses was crack. "I'm afraid not. I'm going to have to go to the eye doctor to get new glasses."

She looked down at her morose daughter and felt her heart jump at the sight of Luna's watery gaze. "I'm sorry, Mommy," she once again whispered.

Pandora put the glasses down on the bench and bent at the waist to pull Luna into a soft embrace. "Honey, I told you it was okay. It was my fault. I let my vanity get the best of me when I took them off."

"I shouldn't have been running," Luna argued.

"No, you shouldn't have," Pandora agreed, "But that's because you could have tripped and gotten hurt. It's not your fault the glasses are broken. I don't blame you."

"Will Daddy be mad that he has to pay for new glasses?" Luna asked quietly.

Pandora winced. Xenophilius was a zoo keeper, and they didn't make that much money, especially since Pandora was a struggling scientist. "Well, he won't be thrilled, but Daddy won't blame you either."

She stood up and smoothed Luna's hair. "Come on. We should get home. I have to break the news to your daddy about needing to make an appointment at the eye doctor."

Luna nodded. She took Pandora's hand and the girls walked through the mall, to the exit, and left the building.

Pandora knew she shouldn't drive without her glasses. Even now, she was squinting in an attempt to see everything clearly. They were only ten minutes away from home, though. What could happen in a ten minute drive?

* * *

Luna carefully watched her mommy as Pandora focused on her driving. Something was very wrong. The six-year old could feel it in her bones, but she couldn't explain why. She just felt as if something was going to happen. Something bad.

And she hoped if she kept watching her mommy, she could stop the bad thing from happening.

Luna's eyes didn't stray from where they were gazed, focusing on Pandora's face. She almost didn't see it coming, but out of the corner of her eyes, she saw the flashing headlights.

"Mommy!" Luna yelled in a panic.

Pandora took her gaze from the road and glanced over at Luna.

"Watch out!" Luna screamed.

There was a loud honk of the car's horn before it crashed into their car. Pandora's side was hit, and the older woman fell sideways, against Luna.

Luna banged her head with the impact, and she saw stars behind her closed eyelids. "Mommy?" she whispered light-headedly.

There was no answer from Pandora.

Luna weakly lifted her hand and pushed against her mommy's shoulder, but there was no movement.

There was lots of sticky blood coming out of Pandora's head, and there were bones protruding from skin.

Luna's eyes filled with tears. She didn't know how she knew it, but she just knew her mommy was forever gone. And she wasn't coming back.

She heard the sirens, but it all too late. As her eyes drifted close, her last conscious thought was, _'I want my mommy.'_


End file.
